Calls Me Home
by FallRisk
Summary: Two years after the events of The Host, Melanie, Jared and their family are working to maintain their life in the caves. Upon the arrival of someone from the Stryder's past, the community becomes more divided than ever.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my story. I'm very excited to share this little gem with you, especially since The Host is getting closer to the big screen. I've been a fan since the beginning, and I hope I do the original story justice. This story is mostly Melanie/Jared, so be aware of that if you are looking for a Wanda/Ian fic, there are only snippets of them romantically. Any mistakes are my own, and I apologize profusely for them. If anyone is interested in beta-ing for me, please contact me. **

**This is multi POV. **

**I don't own The Host, the lovely Mrs. Meyer does. I'm just playing with her characters.**

**Enjoy**

**Melanie**

"I am not staying here, Jared!" I yelled. "I can't do that again! I can't sit here and wait for you to come home. It nearly killed me last time, just waiting for you, wondering if something had happened."

I was nearly in tears, mostly out of frustration and slightly out of fear. He just didn't understand what I went through during those few weeks he and the raid group were gone, including my best friend, Wanda. At least then I had a good reason to stay home. This time he was just being ridiculous.

He stepped closer to me and took my face in his hands. I wanted to push him away, but revelled too much on the feel of his skin on mine. "Mel, baby, someone needs to stay here. You know that. Someone has to look out for our son."

"Jack will be fine with Jamie, they adore each other. You said yourself, we would only be gone for a week or two. Jack is only one, he won't even know we're gone!" I was getting desperate. I didn't want to leave my son behind, but the thought of Jared being away for that long without me made me feel sick.

Ever since Wanda had been going on the raids, they have been fewer and further between. The raiders would be gone for a few weeks and then return with enough food to last four or five months. Ian and Wanda had been leading the raids as of late, ever since Jack was born. Jared had only been needed once since then. They were only supposed to be gone for three weeks, but ran into some trouble and ended up not returning for almost five weeks. With no forms of communication, we had no idea what had happened to them.

"Mel..." he began.

"Don't you dare 'Mel' me, do you remember what happened to me after the last time?"

I knew I had struck a chord within him when I saw the way pain and hurt flashed across his face. When the sixth day passed over their return date without a sign of their return, I collapsed within myself. I couldn't bear the thought of living without Jared. This was made worse by the fact that while also losing him, I lost Wanda, Ian and four of our other friends. It was as though I suddenly just couldn't function. Jack was only six months old at the time, and it was only his hunger filled cries that got me out of bed everyday. I ate only enough to make sure he got enough food from me. He was the only thing that kept me going, not even Jamie's pleas or Jeb's threats.

"Do you remember how you found me? Do you remember how I thought I was dead, and meeting you at the gates of heaven? How you had to yell at me, and convince me you were real? Do you remember how I lost almost ten pounds?"

I knew to some people, my reaction was a little intense. Especially considering Jared and Jamie had gone through the same thing. The difference was that I knew there were people who could care for Jack. He would have his Uncle Jamie, and Great Uncle Jeb, and a slew of other caretakers in the event of my demise. Thinking back to it now, I was furious at myself for ignoring my responsibilities and most of all, ignoring my son.

I could see that Jared was having a hard time finding an argument against my last statement. But he responded anyway. "If I don't go, Jamie will have to."

Thinking about Jamie being out there scared me just as much as Jared. I just didn't like the thought of either of them going without me. I just felt like if I were there, I could protect them if something went wrong. Logically, I knew there was little I could actually do if something were to occur, it just made me feel better to be there.

"No one is going anywhere without me, Jared. That's final." I demand.

"I'm just going to let this go for now. The raid leaves in a tonight, we have until then to figure this out. They need a strong guy to go on this one. There is a lot of new equipment we need for the planting season and the generators are going to give out soon. I'm the strongest man here, and Wanda and Ian need help. We won't be gone long. Just think about it, Melanie. I'm going to go get Jack." With that, he left our room.

Now, I just had to figure out a way to get Jared to let me go on the raid.

**Jared**

I had to stop for a moment on my way to get Jack from Wanda and Ian's room. Ever since Wanda's removal Mel had become more emotional than she had been before the insertion. Since that fateful night and the birth of our son, things seem to have changed.. I'm not sure if Mel knew how much her comment about finding her from the last raid hurt me. I don't think she even remembered half of that night. But I did. All too clearly.

_"How much longer do you think it will be until we get back? They have to be freaking out right now. We are almost a week off of schedule." Ian asked._

_"We're about five miles away." I responded tightly. I was very concerned about Melanie and Jamie. If they felt even a fraction of the pain I felt when I thought I lost Mel then they were not in good shape right now. I cursed the run in we had with Seekers. We had to backtrack in order to lose them, too terrified to come right home in fear of them following us right to the others._

_"Do you think Jamie and Mel are alright?" Wanda asked from the backseat._

_"I have no clue. I hope so." All I wanted to do was hold my wife and kid tight to my chest and sleep for a good, long while. But since we were so off schedule I knew that wasn't going to happen for a long time. There would be questions, and unpacking, and I knew I wouldn't see the inside of my bedroom for far longer than I wanted to._

_Wanda had saved us all by throwing the Seekers off our trail. When all seemed lost, she demanded I pull the van over and let her out. Ian nearly had a heart attack when she actually got out of the car and told me to drive away. She and I had discussed this plan in detail. I would drive away and leave her behind to deal with the Seekers. Wanda would pose as a bystander lost in the desert, and tell them that we had traveled in the opposite direction we actually went in. She would then hitch a ride with another Soul, asking them to drop her off at a designated place._

_Ian went berserk when I pulled away until I told him our plan. He refused to speak to me until we picked Wanda up. Even then, he only spoke to me in short clipped tones. He swore the next time he would be in a good mood with me would be when we were finally home safe._

_Which brings us back to now._

_I could see the drop off point coming up. Unlike in the past there was no one waiting for us in the open._

_The sound of the trucks on the desert sand must have alerted someone to our arrival because before we could even stop the trucks there were a swarm of people surrounding us. These people were not happy to see us, evident by the guns and various other weapons pointed at us._

_"Jeb," I began, "It's us." To prove my point, I flashed a light in my eyes._

_"Alright then," he replied gruffly. "Start unpacking." He didn't question our tardiness. Not yet at least. There would be plenty of time for that once everything was unpacked and the raiders were cleaned up. I went to grab some supplies to carry in before running off to find Mel, but Jeb stopped me. "She's not in good shape, boy."_

_That was all he needed to say. If Jeb were pointing it out, I knew it was bad. There was no hesitation on my part, I was off running before someone could even shout my name. My girl needed me._

_The condition I found her in would haunt me forever. There wasn't a trace of my strong, brave, occasionally violent Melanie. She was curled up on my side of the bed, clutching one of my shirts. She didn't even look up when the door came crashing against the wall._

_"Melanie." I whispered, my voice cracking on the simple word._

_That got her attention. She sat up slowly and looked at me as though I was a ghost. I guess to her I was._

_"I thought it would take longer." she said. Her voice was no better off than mine. "I thought I would get to see Jack again. Make arrangements for him. Jamie won't let anything happen to him. I wish I could've held him one more time."_

_"Wha-what are you talking about? Oh god! You think you're dead! Mel, we're not dead!" I was horrified by her words. She was ready to die? I understood the feeling, but I didn't think she would be so ready to leave our son behind._

_"Don't try to shelter me, Jared. I can take it." She whispered, her words harsh and sad. "I just wish I could've held Jack one more time. Told him I love him. This is so unfair to him. I didn't want to leave him alone, but I just couldn't do it, Jared. I couldn't do it alone."_

_This was the most vulnerable, and well...weakest I had ever seen her. Her words broke my heart and nearly broke me. This wasn't us. We weren't this weak._

_"Melanie Howe, listen to me right now!" I shouted. "We. Are. Not. Dead. Our son is God knows where, and you need to pull yourself together!"_

_She slowly got to her feet to face me. When the covers fell from her nearly naked body, I could see just how much my absence had affected her. With only the fabric of her bra and panties as covering, her already petite five foot five figure looked even smaller. I would venture to guess she weighed nearly as much as little five foot two Wanda. My breath hitched as she started to move closer to me._

_We didn't speak as she crossed the room to get closer to me. I remained motionless, afraid that she would suddenly snap. When she finally reached me, my heart was pounding in my ears so loudly I was afraid I'd miss it if she spoke. Her hand reached up slowly and touched my cheek bone, until her entire hand cupped my cheek. Her other hand followed soon after, and we found ourselves merely staring into each other's eyes._

_She was the first to break the silence. "You're real." Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, her voice still raspy._

_"Yeah, baby, I'm real." I whispered. "I'm real, and you're real, and we are both human."_

_Suddenly, she was all over me. Her hands ripped the shirt off my body, and her hands clawed down my back. Her lips were everywhere, my lips, my jaw, my throat. I gripped her waist, and pulled her body impossibly closer to mine, returning her advances enthusiastically. Mel's hands moved lower to undo the button on my jeans, her slim fingers moving swiftly. Mine moved to cup her cloth covered breasts. She moaned into my mouth, causing my hips to jut forward in reply._

_"Oh, god. Jared, I need you. Please, I just..." Her raspy voice whispered in my ear. She didn't need to finish, I knew that we both needed this closeness, this release._

_Once my jeans were off my body, I lifted her to wrap her legs around my waist. She whimpered when my hardness pressed against her centre. I slowly began to lower our bodies to the mattress beneath us. When her back was firmly pressed against the mattress, I made quick work of removing the rest of her clothing. Her bra was the first to go, the black cotton made its way to the floor, followed swiftly by her matching panties. A hot fire spread through me when our skin met. Judging by her moans and the frantic movement of her hands in my hair I knew she was ready._

_I began to kiss down her neck, to the valley between her breasts. My mouth just closed over a nipple before she pulled my face back to hers._

_"No, I just need you. Please, no foreplay." she gasped. "I just need you." Her voice was thick with emotion._

_I lifted my body from hers momentarily to rid myself from the rest of my clothing. When I lowered my body back to hers the fire reemerged with a vengeance._

_"Jared," she sighed in my ear, the breathy sound making me even harder. "Oh, Jared."_

_"Jared," a different voice than what I was expecting said._

"Jared, dude, are you there?" Ian asked. "I've been calling your name for like thirty seconds. I was about ready to go get Doc."

"Oh yeah, sorry. Just had a little disagreement with Mel and I guess I'm kind of out of it." I said while rubbing my neck, wondering how long I had been standing in front of Wanda and Ian's door. "Is Jack ready?"

Ian smiled and led me into their room. "Yeah, he just woke from his nap and was asking for you and Mel."

"Da-ey!" Jack nearly screamed when he caught sight of me from Wanda's arms. "Da-ey, hold!"

I smiled when I saw him flailing his little arms in my direction. "Hey, buddy! Did you miss me?" He nodded enthusiastically.

"Miss, Da-ey." He said sleepily, nuzzling his head into the crook of my neck, his soft brown hair tickling the sensitive skin there. "Momma, Da-ey?" His questioning eyes met mine, asking where Mel was.

"You want Momma?" I questioned. He nodded furiously causing Wanda and Ian to laugh. "Okay, let's go get her." He squealed and began to bounce up and down in my arms.

"See you guys later!" Wanda said as Jack and I left, before the door shut I caught Ian rubbing his hand over Wanda's slightly protruding stomach. I smiled knowingly, hoping I would be in the same position soon.

Jack was quite the little surprise. Melanie had only had her body back for about four months when I asked her to marry me. Jeb performed the ceremony for us, and everyone in the caves came, even sour old Maggie. Wanda got a white cotton dress and even a large white cake on a raid a few days before.

It was a spectacular event, Jamie stood as my best man and Wanda as Mel's maid of honor. Both girls cried, and I even saw Sharon shed a tear as we exchanged rings and walked down the makeshift aisle as man and wife. Ian played on a guitar Wanda gifted him with, and we danced and played and laughed all night. Until we were alone that is, but that's a different tale.

Six weeks later, in the warmth of our cave, naked and sated with Melanie's head tucked under my chin and her body nearly on top of mine, she whispered two words that would change our lives. "I'm pregnant."

The rest is history.

On Mel's twenty fourth birthday a few weeks ago, we had discussed the possibility of having more kids, and both came to the conclusion we wanted more and soon. Jack was such an amazing kid, we lived in a good environment, and I wasn't getting any younger. Thirty three wasn't considered old, however after years of living the lifestyle we did, it began to take a toll on my body. Joints began to pop more after I woke in the morning, something Mel loved to tease me about. Thankfully my physique had yet to change, my arms were still thick and my stomach was still hard, something else Mel loved.

"Momma!" Jack yelled smiling brightly, bringing me out of my thoughts. Mel had just opened the door to our room when Jack called for her. She smiled widely at him and ran to our side.

"Hi, buddy!" she said, rubbing his back and kissing his little hand. All my anger and frustration from earlier melted away when I saw her sweet, motherly smile. I handed Jack to her and pulled her into my side, loving the way her body fit perfectly into mine even all these years later.

"Hey baby," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"Me too," she replied softly, raising herself to her tiptoes to kiss me. I savored the feeling of our lips meeting, the ever present fire igniting in full force.

Jack's giggle broke us apart, Mel and I laughed when he puckered his lips out, waiting for Mel to give him a kiss too. She replied with an exaggerated kiss, making him laugh even harder. The devotion reflected in both of their eyes as they gazed at each other made my heart stutter.

It was in that moment that I decided that I would do whatever it took to keep Mel from this raid. No matter what she thought to the contrary, I knew Jack would never be alright without her.

**Well there you have it. I'm really looking forward to your responses.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Jared**

"Jared are you sure this is wise? Mel is going to be very upset with us when we return." Wanda's sweet voice chimed.

"Yeah, and we all know what an upset Mel looks like." Ian shuddered, probably remembering the last time he pissed her off.

"Wanda, you're not going on this one either." I said, loading the last of the raid supplies onto the truck. Ian and I had discussed it earlier, and we were both concerned with the state of Wanda's health in the early stages of her pregnancy. Her slight frame could handle more than we usually gave her credit for, however she has been getting sick too frequently and too violently for any sort of raid. In her place, we intended to take Sunny and Kyle.

"What do you mean I'm not going?" Wanda said, her face becoming red with her displeasure. "Why can't I go?"

"Someone needs to stay with Mel and try to explain why we didn't go without her. On top of that, we are just concerned about your current state of...physical wellness." Ian tried to explain, but struggled to convey his worry.

"Physical wellness?" Wanda questioned, raising one delicate, blonde eyebrow. "I'm pregnant, not sick. I'm still perfectly capable of walking around a grocery store and putting items in a cart. Speaking of which, how exactly do you plan on accomplishing this raid without me?"

"Sunny." I replied still loading the truck. "She has been following you around for months, watching how you interact with the other Souls and how you handle a sticky situation. We think she's ready." In all honesty, I was scared shitless of how Sunny would do on her own. But if I was going to ask everyone else to let a capable raider like Mel to stay behind, I should give the same courtesy when Ian asks for it.

Wanda didn't seem convinced. I could see it in her eyes, and I was willing to bet that Ian saw the same thing. The raid should be simple, if everyone did their jobs correctly. Only five of us were going; Ian, Brandt, Kyle, Sunny and I. While Sunny was inside, getting the backup generators the rest of us had other jobs. Brandt and Kyle were going to be hiding in the cargo truck in the parking lot of the always busy Outlet Mall. During this time, Ian and I, donning sunglasses and our perfectly crafted scars would grab some other necessities.

"What if something goes wrong and Sunny panics?" she questioned. "What if she gets you all in trouble."

"We believe she can do it." Ian said, but I could sense a little apprehension in his voice. Hell, I was nervous too. I didn't want to leave Melanie or Jack, not again. But I knew it was necessary for the sake of the community. We needed more generators. Ours just weren't cutting it on their own anymore.

"It's not fair though!" Wanda suddenly cried, her usually fair skin turning a light pink. "You and Jared just can't go around making the decisions for Mel and I. We are our own people, and forcing us to do something we don't want to, and not telling us is cruel."

"Sound mighty familiar don't it?" Maggie's sour voice sounded from behind us. We all turned around to face her, just in time to see her smirk, drop the last box of supplies and walk away without another word.

Ian and I shot two glances at each other, the first filled with anger, the second with worry. I think we were both hoping that Wanda didn't really take what Maggie said to heart. It took nearly three months of constant reassurances that Pet's host didn't rouse, and that everyone-sans Maggie and her small band of followers-wanted her here. When a few seconds passed and her facial expression didn't change, I believed she had let it go. Sadly, no such luck.

"Oh God," Wanda groaned, "She's right! The other souls and I are doing this exact same thing but on a much larger and more horrific scale!" She began to pace and run her hands through her hair, creating a mess of her blonde curls. Ian moved to stop her, but she threw her hands up to stop him. "What kind of world is my kind creating for future kids? How are Jack and Freedom and Liberty going to grow up? What about our kids?"

"Wanda, honey, you are one of us, not one of them. You see that what has happened and recognize the negative effects of it." Ian rationalized. "You understand what the others don't. Our child will know what good intentions the Souls had, but how dire the consequences were. It will know that you and every other Soul here, belongs here."

Wanda still didn't look convinced. I looked to Ian to see how he wanted to handle it, and saw him looking at her in a familiar way. In a way that I look at Melanie. I knew then, that it was my time to leave, and look at my girl like that. Like I knew everything about her, like I never want to leave her.

Like I will leave her tonight.

**Melanie**

I woke up almost an hour earlier than usual, my mind filled with images and sounds from the night before. I decided to take a few minutes to reminisce about one of the most intense sexual experiences of my life before getting out of bed.

_"Hey baby," Jared murmured, stepping into the room and quietly shutting the door._

_"Hi," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. Before the kiss could become too intense, as they usually did when Jared and I are left alone, I pull away to inquire about our son._

_"He's with his Uncle Jamie tonight. So I can be alone with his momma." His words were sweet and simple, but his tone spoke so much more. I shivered in anticipation. "It's been forever since we've been alone together."_

_As he spoke his lips moved down my throat and across my collarbone making my response breathless. "I-it's been four days." Jared's sexual appetite has only increased with age. At thirty three, he's still on the younger side of the spectrum but a little older than many here. _

_"As I said: forever." A grin accompanied his confident response._

_"You know, we can't just keep handing him off to our friends and family." I tried to make my words strong even though my legs were shaking with anticipation, and my breathing uneven._

_"Mmhmm," he murmured, lips moving back up my throat while he pulls my tank top over my head and throws it to the floor. Before I know it, my bra is joining my top._

_"We need to-" my words were immediately cut off by his lips. I stopped fighting him, knowing that there wasn't a point. We both know this is what we wanted. Jared's skilled fingers unbuttoned my jean shorts, and slid them down my legs, his lips never leaving my skin. He kissed his way down my body until he was on his knees, his mouth pressed against my belly. His fingers dancing on the edge of my panties. My breath hitched loudly when his fingers hook into the side of them, and he slowly pulled them down._

_My hands flew into his hair once his fingers found my center. His hands know my body so well, in a matter of minutes I fell to pieces, my legs shaking so hard he had to grab my hips to keep me from falling over. He led me to our bed and laid me on my back, then fell into the space between my legs. I was still panting and shaking from my first orgasm when he entered me, a loud moan emanated from a place deep within me, a place where only Jared has been. _

_Jared held himself up by his elbows, pressing our bodies as close together as possible. He pressed his face into my neck, and kissed the place behind my ear that drives me wild. I cry out when he changes his angle. Jared reached up so our hands intertwine. His thrusts were deep and slow, making me whimper in pleasure with every withdrawal. I'm so close, the pressure in my body is almost too much._

_"Baby," he moans, "let go. Just let go." His breath is hot against my face and neck. His thrusts becoming harder and faster. Hearing his voice makes me come undone. I'm slightly afraid of our neighbors hearing my scream of pleasure, but I don't care enough to stifle it._

_Jared isn't quite as close as I was, he continues to thrust and groan. Before I know it, I'm edging closer toward the cliff that is my third orgasm. When I reach it, I can't even make a noise. My back arches and my whole body clenches. This time, Jared is right behind me, moaning his release into my ear. He lowers his body nearly on top of mine, and I wrap my arms around him to keep him there._

_"I love you."_

_"I love you."_

_Eventually, he rolls us over, his chest against my back his softened length still inside me. We fall asleep that way, still connected and occasionally murmuring our love._

I know something isn't right the second my mind becomes conscience. I can't feel Jared pressed against my back, his arm around my waist, his breath on my neck. I feel around his side of the bed, and feel nothing. The sheets are cold. My heart drops to my stomach. Instinctively, I know he hasn't just gone for food, or to get Jack.

He did it. He really did it, he left me.

Just before total panic sets in, I notice a piece of folded paper on the small dresser next to Jack's bed. I quietly walk over to it, noticing that Jared must have gotten Jack from Jamie before he left. Our son is on back, his chest rising and falling name is written on the paper in Jared's handwriting. My heart pounds as I open it.

_Melanie,_

_Please forgive me for leaving without telling you. It hurts me as much as it hurts you, but I did it because of the little boy sleeping right next to me. A little boy who worships the ground you walk on and lives to see you smile. I know you don't see it, but the rest of us do. I've taken Ian, Brandt, Kyle and Sunny. We won't be gone long, and I hope that by the time I return that you will have forgiven me. But I understand if you don't. I know that you will probably hate me for a while, and that is something I will have to live with. I understand that you hate to have decisions made for you, but sometimes it's for the best._

_I love you, baby._

_Jared_

My first instinct was to be angry, the second was to cry. However a third took over when I heard the sounds of Jack waking. The mother in me knew that Jared was right, and that I needed to care for Jack and see to his well being instead of crying about not being included on a raid. Jack was my main priority. That didn't ever change, even when Jared was here. So why should his absence affect the way I act as a parent? I was not going to lose myself like I did the last time Jared went without me. I couldn't recognize the girl I became then. A girl who gave up on her responsibilities because she couldn't handle her emotions. I was not going to be that girl again.

Jack deserved better.

It was with that set in mind that I began my day. First dressing myself, then Jack who was filled with questions on the whereabouts of his father. Then we were off to the kitchens for breakfast. At first, I could ignore the stares, I knew I deserved them after the way I handled Jared's absence previously, however, after an entire breakfast without the one person who could fully calm me, I set off to find the next best person, who was shockingly absent from breakfast this morning.

After two sharp knocks, I pushed my way into Wanda and Ian's room. "Wanda," I sighed when I saw her cradled in her bed.

"Wan-a," Jack echoed. I smiled at him and kissed his head before setting him down on Wanda's bed and handing him a stuffed animal.

"Did Jared say goodbye?" She whispered, poking her head out of her blanket-nest.

"In a roundabout way, I guess." I sighed, shaking my head. "He left a note for me. I don't think he wanted to spoil our last night together."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." she mumbled. "I knew what they were planning, and I was going to tell you, but then Ian and Jared informed me that I wouldn't be going either and I just lost it. They didn't want me to go because I'm pregnant, and they didn't want you to go because of Jack. They are keeping us locked up so we can care for their children."

I laughed, "They're men. It's what they do."

Wanda sat up and stared at me, "I'm surprised you aren't more upset by this. I thought you would be furious."

I gave a shrug, "I have decided to be calm until they return. When I know they are home safely, then I will get mad."

"Ma!" Jack squealed. "Me!" Trying to get me to pay attention to him.

"What about you my handsome boy?" I asked, picking him up and nuzzling his cheek.

"Kiss!" I pressed my lips to his cheek and gave an exaggerated kiss. In return, he planted one on mine as well.

We ended up spending the the better part of the morning in Wanda's cave, merely chatting about nothing. Around ten, I knew I needed to get Jack to the school so I could get to my chores.

Collapsing into bed that night, I pulled Jared's pillow into my side, inhaling his scent. I sent a prayer to him and whatever power was listening.

"Come home soon."

**I was impressed with The Host and felt that this story deserved to have it's second chapter released. I hope you enjoyed.**

**All of the mistakes are my own, and I apologize for them.**

**Please let me know what you thought. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, friends. I'm excited to share this one with you. Although there isn't much action, we get introduced to a new character. So that's always fun.**

**To those of you who reviewed, I am very thankful. I am especially thankful to Emmadeexo and LeftHandedPeopleRule who have reviewed more than once, and encouraged me to finish this chapter. You guys rock.**

**FYI, this chapter is shorter than the norm. **

**ALL MISTAKES ARE MY OWN AND I APOLOGIZE PROFUSELY FOR THEM.**

**Enjoy**

**Melanie**

A few days later, I was in the middle of kneading the dough for that night's dinner, surrounded by silence and trying not to worry too much about the raiders when Wanda burst through the door followed closely by Jamie.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked, wiping my hands on the blue apron tied around my looked a combination of worried and excited. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong per say, but..." Jamie began, but Wanda cut him off before he could finish.

"Melanie, maybe you should see for yourself." she said slowly.

They dragged me through the intricate tunnels of the caves until we were at the entrance to the game room. The entire trip I kept asking for information, but neither of them relented. They just kept repeating the same thing, "You need to see for yourself." When we finally entered, I noticed there was a group of people standing around something. It looked like a person, but from behind the barricade of people it was hard to know for sure.

"What on Earth is going on?" I demanded, tired of being ignored.

"Trip is here. Or what we think is Trip." I'm not sure who said it, all I could focus on was that we had another survivor in the caves, and even better that it was one of my childhood friends.

"Is he human?" I found myself asking.

"We aren't sure yet. He hasn't woken once since we brought him here." Jamie said. "Wanda and I found him outside when we were taking the kids for a walk."

"Neither of you just lifted his eyelid to see if he had silver eyes?" I asked, focusing on the unconscious form on the floor. They shot a look at each other and shook their heads.

This wouldn't be the first time a human made their way to the caves. A few months after Wanda was taken out of my body, a young man named Mac was found by a raid group wandering around the desert. A few weeks after that, Jeb discovered Kaylee and her sister Lena. After Mac's arrival and disastrous first meeting of Wanda, we learned to introduce her slowly and not immediately after their waking. Each of these people were welcomed with open arms, and after a few days with a bit of persuasion they accepted Wanda and Sunny as members of our group. However, this was the first person to come here-with the exception of myself-that had a past with anyone.

Suddenly, Trudy came running in. "Mel, Jack was trying to walk and fell and scraped his knee and won't let anyone touch him. He's bleeding, and screaming."

I was snapped out of my daze by the news about my son. "I'm coming. Someone let me know when he wakes up, human or Soul."

I followed Trudy to the school cave, nearly sprinting ahead of her. I heard Jack well before I saw him. He was sitting on a table, screaming for Jared and me. He quieted marginally when he caught sight of me and mumbled a sad and snot filled, "Momma."

"Hey handsome, why the big crocodile tears?" I cooed, picking him up.

He immediately pointed to his bleeding knee, "Owie, Momma."

"You have an owie?" He nods, tears still leaking out of the corners of his eyes. "Do you want to go see Doc and see if he can make the owie go away?"

Five minutes later, Jack and I were sitting in Doc's office and watched as Doc patched Jack up. I was surprised when we got there that Doc wasn't with Trip, or vice versa. Doc didn't even say anything about our new guest, it made me wonder if he even knew we had one.

"Have you been to see Trip yet?" I asked as Doc sprayed the last of the medicine on Jack's knee. Jack had stopped crying at this point and instead took to playing with my fingers.

"No I haven't, Jeb asked me to wait in here. Told me that...Trip would be brought to me." he murmured. "There you go, Jack. All better now." Jack looked up at Doc and gave him a bright smile.

"Thank you, Doc."

_***CH***_

After leaving Doc's office, Jack and I decided to just take a stroll around the main caves to try and lull him to sleep. It was almost time for his nap and I could tell that his body was aware of this. His head was tucked into my neck and he was drowsily murmuring nonsense to me. I was about to take him into my room when a piercing scream echoed around the cave. Jack looked up at me, questioning the foreign noise.

"Melanie!" It was Wanda's voice this time, "We need your help. It's Trip."

"What's the matter?" I asked, "Is he okay?" Jack began to tug on my hair, demanding my attention.

"He's asking for you, or screaming I should say. He's dehydrated and slightly delusional. He saw me and began to panic and won't stop screaming. Not even Jamie could fully calm him down."

"Is he human?"

Wanda nodded and motioned for me to hand Jack to her. I tried to hand him over to Wanda so I can go see our new guest, but Jack started to scream the second my grip loosened on him. "It's alright, buddy. Mommy will be back in a little bit." This doesn't calm him in the least. He started to pull my hair when I attempted again. "I guess you're coming with me."

"Mel," Jeb said as he waved an arm at me, "We need you now, He won't stop screaming for you. " He followed that up with a low, "Wonder how he got here."

"Okay, Jack, please be quiet for Momma." I held my pointer finger to my lips as our sign that we need to be silent. It's a sign that we've nearly perfected. One could never be too careful when living in an environment such as ours. Once Jack was quieted, we made our way into the game room. Jack waved to all of the people he recognized, blowing kisses to some of the women he interacted with on a daily basis.

"Melanie!" It was a shock, to hear a voice so familiar, yet so different. It felt like a world ago, being twelve years old and racing him in the middle school track meets. Playing coed soccer on the school's team, awkwardly swaying near each other at the seventh grade dance. When I finally looked at him, all I could see were traces of the boy I once knew. His blue eyes were the same dull, almost gray orbs looked at me in wonderment-and lacked the telltale signs of a Soul's habitation. His hair was longer, and he looked like he was a couple of inches taller.

"Hello Trip," I choked. "I'm going to need you to stop screaming and making so much noise. It's frightening my son."

"Melanie?" Though he was staring right at me, he still sought confirmation.

"Yeah, it's me." I shifted Jack on my hip and leaned down to get a closer look at him. There were so many questions running through my head, but I knew this was neither the time or the place. "Can you stand?" When he nodded and shakily got to his feet I spoke again. "Okay, Uncle Jeb and Jamie are going to take you to see Doc now. He's going to fix you up." The cuts on his arms and face didn't seem too dangerous, just uncomfortable and frankly a little gross.

"Are you coming?" The sound of his crackly voice made me cringe.

I looked at Jack who had fallen asleep against me. "I can't. Jack needs to take a nap and there is no one to watch him from three to four. Everyone else has tasks to do and it isn't fair to ask someone else to give up their free time to watch him for me." Truth was, it would've been easy to find someone to watch Jack while he napped, I just wasn't ready to face the overwhelming feeling of facing someone from my past. I was torn between utter joy at seeing that one of my friends had survived the invasion as well, and the sadness that accompanied remembering all those that didn't make it.

Wanda looked like she was going to volunteer to watch Jack, but I motioned with my head to follow me instead but not before promising Trip that I would come visit at four.

Once Wanda and I were safely out of the game room, she turned to me and smiled. "Mel, oh my gosh! Can you believe it? Trip is here! He survived and came looking for us-you!" It was easy to forget that she and I shared the same memories from my past and I had to smile at her slip.

"You know, I really can't believe it. I just can't believe it. It makes me wonder how many other people I know-knew evaded the occupation." This was a dangerous train of thought. So many survivors lost themselves to this kind of guilt and wondering.

True to my word, after a quick chat with Wanda, I took a still sleeping Jack to bed and decided to join him for a bit. I was exhausted and I had only been awake for a little over five hours. As my eyes closed, I silently prayed that Jared and the others were safe and would return to us soon.

**Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed your self during this chapter. I can't see the next one coming out any time this week. :( Sorry to disappoint, but the next chapter has like fifty words. I was just excited to finish this one and post it.**

**Please let me know what you thought. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello friends! I'm terribly sorry about how late this update is, I've been really busy and since school just let out, I have much more free time to write and check all of my work. However on the subject of work, I've been getting more hours and hopefully that won't interfere much with my writing but it might, so be ready for that.**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed this story, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to most of you, but I really appreciate every single review I've received.**

**I don't own The Host, or any of it's characters. Any mistakes are my own and I apologize profusely for them.**

**Enjoy.**

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Sometime later I awoke to tiny hands against my face and giggling. One of the giggles belonged to the hands. The other, I suspected, belonged to a certain blonde haired Soul.

"Wanda?" I asked groggily, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes.

"Yes, it's Wanda. What on earth are you doing? Everyone's been looking for you for forty-five minutes. No one thought you would be in here napping the day away!" she giggled, handing Jack over to me.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer." I sat up and pulled Jack closer to my chest and smiled when he began to play with my hair and babble quietly to himself. "Is there any news on Trip?"

"He is sleeping in Doc's place. He was dehydrated and slightly malnourished with severe sunburns. Doc was able to treat it all, and now Trip is just sleeping off some of his exhaustion. We've been looking for you so we could discuss what to do about him." She replied, stroking Jack's hair.

"Why did you need me?" I questioned. There was only one reason I could think of, and I hoped Wanda wasn't actually thinking it. We never discussed it much even when we shared a body, but she knew he was my childhood best friend and first crush and thereby my responsibility since I knew him better than anyone else. "We've established what to do with newcomers. Get a background, make sure they weren't followed, clean them up and find them a place to stay. Mac has a bed in his room that is free."

"Well, you know him best, I mean he was your first crush." She said in a sing-song voice. "That means that you get to have a place in deciding where he will fit in with the community."

I groaned, "Wanda, that was almost twelve years ago.I don't know him anymore. We were just kids and I can't believe you are bringing that up right now! Besides, Jamie knew him too." Trip was my childhood crush and nothing more. He was my best friend and comrade. I had completely forgotten about him once the invasion began and didn't even think about him again until one of the late night conversations between Jared and I while on the run.

"That is what I explained to everyone, but you know that they thrive on structure and need to stay within the confines of trust your judgement of him."

"But Wanda, I haven't even seen him in twelve years! I don't know him anymore. How can I be the deciding factor in whether he stays or leaves?" I complained.

She stroked Jack's hair and avoided my gaze. "We just want your opinion, Mel."

"I wish Jared was here. He would know what to do in this situation." I sighed. Jared would definitely know how to handle this situation, he was the second leader of our group, sometimes I thought that everyone viewed him as a leader above Jeb. He had this uncanny ability to view a situation calmly and collectively, with a perspective no one else seemed to have and make a quick decision.

God, I missed him.

"Well, Jared won't be back for a while, and we need a decision." Wanda said sharply.

I'm sure I looked a like a fish out of water with my mouth opening and closing trying to figure out what just happened.

"Oh my gosh, Mel! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you! It just came out! I've been missing Ian so much and I haven't been getting much sleep these past few nights and the baby-"

"Wanda," I interrupted with a laugh, "it's alright. I understand, I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"Momma, da-ey?" Jack said with a tug of my hair, drawing my attention to him.

"Daddy will be back soon, baby." I said kissing the top of his head.

Jack and Jared always held a special bond, one that was in place the second Jared held him for the first time.

"God, Mel." Jared whispered staring down at our son cradled in my arms. "He is amazing."

I smiled and nodded in agreement, "I love him so much, Jared. I already can't think about life without him." I knew I sounded really sappy and cliché, but I couldn't help it.

"Want to hold him?" I asked, still not able to take my eyes from him.

He nodded and slowly held his arms out. Once our son was safely in his arms, he looked at me. "So, what's his name?"

"I was thinking that we should go with Jack, after your dad. I know we were leaning toward Trevor for mine, but I think Jack is a good fit for him. Plus, think about it, we'd have a Jeb, Jamie, Jared and a Jack."

I was pretty sure that he didn't hear a word I said because when I turned to look at him, all I could see was a new father and his newborn son gazing intently at each other. It was an incredibly beautiful moment nine months in the making. It was a moment that I memorized so I could remember it for the rest of my life.

+[]+

"Ah, Melanie. Nice of you to finally join us." Uncle Jeb said as I entered the game room. It was a full house, as usual when a newcomer's fate was being decided. Wanda agreed to stay with Jack while I came to meet with Jeb, and now I wished I had brought her for some support against Jeb's teasing. He did always have a soft spot for her and that would come in handy right about now.

I rolled my eyes and moved to stand next to him. "So, what's the plan, Jeb?" I was hoping one had already been discussed so I could be free from making this decision.

"Well we were waiting for you to show up sweetheart, but since you seem to have found something better to do, Doc, Jamie, Maggie and I came up with an answer to the question of whether Trip is going to be allowed to to stay." He was no longer addressing me alone, but instead was addressing everyone in attendance.

"And?" Someone in the back shouted.

"We Stryder's knew Trip and his family a long time ago, when he was a boy." Apparently, Jeb was going to have a little story time before he announced Trip's fate with our little community. "He and Mel were good friends, and as such he was around the family quite a bit. He was always a good kid, never misbehaved, and so we have decided to see if that statement is still true. So, he stays. No everyone get back to your chores." Jeb spoke with finality, as he always had when talking to the group as a whole.

There was no protest and only mild discussion between people about the subject as they filed out of the room and back to their daily chores.

Jeb walked back over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "This decision all right with you?"

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

"I was just checkin'," he said with a shrug. "How's my great-nephew holdin' up?" Jack was Jeb's second soft spot.

"He's alright, missing Jared, but he's holding up just fine." I replied, knowing what was next.

"And yourself? How are you doing sweetie?"

I made sure to look him directly in the eye when I responded so he knew I was being completely honest. "I'm alright too, Jeb. I miss him like crazy and can't help but worry about all of them, but I'm doing just fine."

Jeb felt guilty all the time about the way I handled the situation last time Jared left, but I knew deep down that there was nothing that could've been done back then, and I had told him as much on several occasions. He tried like hell to pull me back from the emotional ledge I had been standing on, but I was just too close to the edge and it was only Jack that kept me from falling. I knew better now, and I wasn't afraid of losing myself again. I was stronger, and more prepared for what the world had to offer.

"Good, that's good." He said while rubbing his chin under his beard. "Well, how about now we go check on your friend Trip?

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**Let me know what you thought of this chapter please! You can probably expect a new one sometime in mid or late June.**


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